EARLY SURPRISE! Chocolate Mousse Pie
an homage to my mother / Happy Mother's Day
Wanna skip the reading? Understandable. Download the recipe PDF below. Or jump to the recipe.
Yes, a newsletter being released a week early! I decided to do this because the whole purpose of this newsletter/recipe is a dedication to my mom, and I wanted it released before Mother’s Day. Due to Mother’s Day falling on the 8th, I moved this newsletter to the first Wednesday in May.
When I was in 6th grade, my mom faced a tough battle with cancer. During her treatments, her taste buds often changed, but there were two things she consistently enjoyed—chocolate pie and Drumstick ice cream cones. While Drumsticks were the backup plan when chocolate pie wasn't available, there was one pie that reigned supreme in her heart: Edward’s Hershey’s Chocolate Creme Pie.
My mom's love for that pie was truly remarkable. Even when she had lost her appetite for almost everything else, she could devour a whole pie on occasion. When I got my driver's license, she would ask me to run errands, and more often than not, my final stop was to get her a pie. That pie practically became a member of our family, right behind our beloved dog.
Sadly, my mom passed away when I was 18. But I always knew that someday I would dedicate a recipe to her. Her eating habits have stayed with me over the years. I could have chosen to recreate her love for popcorn, her odd habit of spreading butter on saltine crackers, or her obsession with colossal crispy tenderloin sandwiches. There were so many memories to choose from, but none spanned as many years as her love for that chocolate pie. So, it was only fitting that I pay tribute to that.
Now, let's talk about the recipe. Yes, there are a few components, but trust me, it's worth it. I urge you to stick with it till the end. The steps are all fairly simple, but it does require a bit of time as the pie needs to be frozen between each layer. Freezing allows you to add the next layer without disturbing the previous one. However, if you're not like me and have a tendency to accidentally stick your hand or finger into something you just made, the chilling times can be shortened. If you're comfortable and have a steady hand, go ahead and reduce the chilling times.
I want to be clear that this recipe is not an exact replica. I didn't go into full-on reverse engineering mode. Plus, truth be told, I've never actually tasted this pie myself. I knew better than to touch my mom's favorite dessert. So, I had to rely on photos and my imagination to capture its taste and texture. From the pictures, I gathered that the pie had a cookie crust, whipped cream, chocolate filling, chocolate drizzle, and a chocolate garnish on top.
My interpretation follows suit. I created a simple Oreo cookie crust with its decadent chocolatey flavor and buttery goodness. The chocolate mousse filling brings an airy, light, and velvety texture that I adore. Instead of whole chocolate chips, I opted for delicate chocolate shavings that melt in your mouth, adding an extra layer of chocolaty goodness. The whipped cream, enhanced with a touch of instant vanilla pudding mix, provides a luscious mouthfeel and a delightful flavor that pairs perfectly with the chocolate.
This recipe makes a regular-sized pie. I could have made a small single-serve pie, but, as I mentioned, my mom could eat one whole pie by herself sometimes. I’m staying true to the memory here. My mom would not accept a single-serve. I brought home a pack of the two single-serve slices one time and she was not happy. She made me go back. To be fair, it was her breakfast, lunch, and dinner some days.
So, here it is—the pie I created as an homage to my mom. Her birthday is this month, and Mother's Day is just around the corner, making it the perfect time to share this recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and as much as I believe my mom would have. With every slice of this pie, I feel like I'm keeping her spirit alive. And who knows, maybe you can share it with your mom on Mother's Day, and it might just become her new favorite pie. Although, let's hope she doesn't require a constant supply in the fridge like mine did. Who has the time to make that many pies?
Chocolate Mousse Pie
Serves 8
Crust
25 Oreo cookies
1 ½ (25g) tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
6 (85g) tablespoons butter, melted
Whipped Cream Topping
1 ½ (365g) cups heavy whipping cream
1 ½ (15g) tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix
¼ (28g) cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped Cream for the Chocolate Mousse
¾ (180g) cup heavy whipping cream
2 (15g) tablespoons powdered sugar
1 (11g) tablespoon instant vanilla pudding mix
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Mixture for the Chocolate Mousse
reserved Oreo cream filling
½ cup + 1 tablespoon (100g/3.5 ounces) chocolate, chips or chopped (recommend weight measurement for chopped)
2 (25g) tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Chocolate Drizzle
4 (40g) tablespoons chocolate, chips or chopped
2 (27g) tablespoons coconut oil
shaved chocolate for garnish, or additional chocolate chips
Equipment
two deep 8 ¼ inch by 1 ¼ inch disposable aluminum pie tins
hand mixer
rolling pin, or other heavy round object like a glass wine or glass water bottle
Instructions
Make the Crust
1. Take the Oreo cookies and separate the cookies from the cream filling. The cookies should come out to be 210g. Place the cream filling in a separate bowl. Set the cream filling aside.
2. Place the Oreo cookies in a large/gallon plastic bag and seal it shut. Place this bag into another large/gallon bag (yes you will want to do this as the cookies will puncture holes in the first bag). With a rolling pin, empty wine bottle, etc start pounding the cookies. Continue to do so until the cookies are evenly broken apart and in a crumb texture. Some larger pieces are fine, but make sure it’s mainly crumbs. Alternatively, you can blitz the cookies in a food processor for a more even crumb if you’d like. Dump the cookie crumbs into a small to medium sized mixing bowl.
3. Add the sugar and salt to the bowl with the cookie crumbs. Mix them together until the sugar and salt is evenly distributed. Pour in the melted butter and start mixing. Continue mixing until the mixture looks evenly glossy and wet, like wet sand. You want to take a handful and squeeze it in your hand. If it holds its shape but still crumbles apart when you lightly press it, it’s good to go.
4. Pour the crumb mixture into one of the aluminum pie tins. Start pressing the cookie crumbs into the base, then up the sides until it has an even thickness. With the second pie tin, place it on top of the crumb crust and gently press it against the crust so that it compresses the crust mixture between the two pie tins (if you’re amazing at pressing crumb crusts into tins, you can skip the second pie tin).
5. Place the crumb crust still between the two pie tins in the freezer to harden for 20 minutes.
Make the Whipped Cream Topping
1. Place the heavy whipping cream into a bowl. Add the instant vanilla pudding mix, powdered sugar, and the vanilla extract.
2. With a hand mixer beginning on low, start whipping the mixture. Slowly increase the speed as it begins thickening. Stop mixing once the mixture reaches stiff peaks, about 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Cover the bowl and place whipped cream in the refrigerator.
Make the Whipped Cream for the Chocolate Mousse
Follow the same procedure for the whipped cream above with the Whipped Cream for the Chocolate Mousse ratios. Cover this bowl and stick it in the refrigerator, as well.
Add some Whipped Cream to the Crust
1. Once the crust has sat in the freezer for 20 minutes and hardened, take about a half cup of the Whipped Cream Topping mixture (not the mixture for the Chocolate Mousse) and spread a thin even layer on the inner base of the crust.
2. Place the crust back into the freezer to set the whipped cream, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Make the Chocolate Mixture for the Chocolate Mousse
1. In a small sauce pan, add the reserved Oreo cream filling, the chocolate, and the two tablespoons of heavy cream and set over low heat.
2. Stirring frequently so that it doesn’t burn, allow the contents to melt about 75% of the way. Once to that point, take the pot off the heat and stir continuously so the residual heat from the pot will melt it the rest of the way. Once fully melted, it should look like a thick brownie batter. If you’ve gone too far and it looks like it’s separating or gritty, it’s still completely fine. I did this a couple times when testing, too, and it still worked out in the end. It’s very forgiving. Pour this mixture into a decently sized mixing bowl that will give you enough mixing room to fold in the whipped cream.
3. Take a small amount of the Whipped Cream for the Chocolate Mousse that was made earlier, about a ¼ of a cup, and add this to the chocolate mixture in the mixing bowl. Start mixing the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. It is fine to be a little aggressive here. This is lightening the mixture for the remaining whipped cream.
4. Once the chocolate and the first addition of whipped cream looks evenly mixed, switch to a spatula (if not already using one) and add half of the remaining whipped cream to the chocolate mixture. Gently, but quickly, begin folding the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Once it is mixed, a few streaks of whipped cream is fine, add the remaining whipped cream and repeat the folding process.
5. Once it is evenly mixed and no streaks appear, pour the mixture on top of the set crumb crust. Evenly spread the mousse out and level the top as best as you can. Set the pie back in the freezer to set, another 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the Whipped Cream Topping decorations
1. Once the pie has had a chance to set, you can decorate the top with the remaining whipped cream. However you wish to do this is up to you. The classic pie from the freezer aisle usually has the whipped cream pipped into mounds with a large star tip around the border. This requires a piping tip and piping bag, which I know not everyone has or wants to have. I get that 100%. I personally never do piped whipped cream either, but will for special occasions or for my mom/people I care about. If you do not have a piping tip and piping bag, feel free to spread the whipped cream over the top in a nice layer or a mound more towards the center. Do what feels natural to you.
2. Once you’ve added the whipped cream to the top and are satisfied with it, place the pie back in the freezer once more to set, 15 to 20 minutes again.
Make the Chocolate Drizzle and finish the pie
1. In a small saucepan, add the chocolate and coconut oil and place over low heat.
2. Heat the mixture until it is evenly melted and smooth. It’ll be very fluid, and not at all thick.
3. Pour this mixture into a small measuring cup that has a pouring spout, a plastic squeeze bottle, or leave it in the saucepan and just use a spoon.
4. Take the set pie out of the freezer. Sprinkle some shaved chocolate, or mini chocolate chips, over the top. Next, take the chocolate drizzle mixture and begin to drizzle/pour it over the pie in a zigzag motion and thin steady stream. Due to the pie being very cold, the chocolate drizzle will begin to set almost immediately.
5. Once the chocolate mixture has been drizzled on top, place the pie in the fridge this time to set any drizzle that hasn’t hardened. This will only take a couple of minutes this time. I like the pie after a couple of hours or overnight from the fridge so that everything comes to the same temperature. That’s just personal preference, though. It’s fine straight from the fridge after a handful of minutes.
6. Slice the pie and enjoy.
Tips/Notes
1. Instant vanilla pudding may seem like an odd addition to whipped cream, but it serves an important purpose: stabilization. While gelatin is commonly used for stabilizing mousse, it's trickier to incorporate into cold whipped cream. Gelatin tends to solidify again when added to cold mixtures, resulting in unwanted clumps. Cornstarch is another stabilizer, but it can alter the flavor and texture. Enter instant vanilla pudding mix, which contains modified cornstarch. Modified cornstarch is specially treated to stabilize, thicken, and emulsify mixtures. That's why it's commonly found in instant pudding mixes. In this recipe, instant vanilla pudding mix, along with powdered sugar (which also contains cornstarch), ensures that the whipped cream retains its structure and doesn't become runny during the pie-making process and subsequent freezing periods. I experimented with other stabilizers like cream cheese and sour cream, but instant vanilla pudding mix, combined with powdered sugar, provided the longest stability without any undesirable flavors or textures.
2. The recipe makes additional whipped cream that you may not need. I did this for two different reasons. 1) if you’re someone who wants to mound the whipped cream on top, you would need more than what the piping amount would be. 2) if you also like to add additional whipped cream on top, this allows you to do so. Any remainder I usually feed to my dogs or add to other things like hot chocolate.
3. If you're short on time or prefer convenience, feel free to skip making the crumb crust from scratch and opt for a premade one. Just keep in mind that you won't have the reserved cream filling from the Oreos, which I added to the mix to ensure it wasn't wasted. To compensate, you can make a traditional ganache mixture instead. Simply heat ¼ cup of heavy cream or whole milk over low heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Once you see small bubbles forming around the edges, pour the mixture over the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. Gently wiggle the bowl to ensure the chocolate is coated in the milk. Allow it to sit for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy. If the ganache isn't perfectly smooth, place it back over low heat and continue stirring until it reaches the desired consistency. Proceed with folding the whipped cream into the chocolate ganache as instructed in the recipe above.
4. For shaved chocolate, grab a chocolate bar—preferably a thicker baking bar, though any type should work—and use a peeler to shave off small pieces. It won't result in perfect, long strips of chocolate, but you'll get delightful little shaved flakes. I chose this method instead of using chocolate chips because I wasn't fond of biting into them. However, if you prefer chocolate chips, feel free to use them. Personally, I would opt for mini chocolate chips if I were to include them.
5. The mousse layer, thanks to the Oreo cream filling, vanilla instant pudding mix, and powdered sugar, is sweeter than you might expect. To balance the sweetness, I recommend using bittersweet or dark chocolate. Of course, if you have a preference for milk chocolate, go ahead and use it. I simply find it a touch too sweet for my taste.
6. The layer of whipped cream between the Oreo crust and the mousse isn't essential. I included it because it was depicted in the picture I referenced. However, omitting this layer won't affect the pie in any way. You can simply use all the whipped cream for the top decoration if you prefer.